"Just Breath"

Hola Mi Familia! Crazy stuff: I've made it through one complete change! Crazy! 6 weeks has gone by fast! I am excited to start a new 6 weeks with new goals for myself and continuing to help our investigators porgress. This week was kind of an off and strange week. I've learned that most missionaries "die" as they like to say before changes. Meaning they don't really like to do very much and get trunky. However, this was pretty good in a few ways. So this week we have been working really hard on certain investigators: the 3 siblings, Marguarita, Isabel, and Angel, and then this Hermana Marisa as well. To start: Hermana Marisa. I don't remember all that I've told you all about her, but we have been working really hard with her. She has been going to a bunch of different churches trying to find the right one she likes and the true church. She is divorced and has 3 kids ages 16, 11, and 9.Her kids don't really like us meeting with her and don't like the church but whatevs! We taught her The Restoration, Plan of Salvation and everything. She attended church a few weeks ago when it was testimony meeting. She liked it a lot, but said the members talked too much about Joseph Smith and so we tried and tackled that. We watched the "Joseph Smith: Prophet Of The Restoration" movie with her to help her see that we don't worship Joseph Smith and to help her see the importance he had in the church. She said she really enjoyed the movie and has a better understanding. We did service for her this week by "cleaning" her backyard. I didn't really see much of a purpose to what we were doing since it was like weeding out a desert, but whatevs. We also invited her to the District conference we had this past weekend and she came and was able to see what the church was really like in more of a ward setting instead of our little branch. We have gained so much trust so much and she loves us and enjoys our visits. This week we really stressed prayer and the importance of finding out answers for yourself. We invited her to pray about being baptized this coming Saturday and we're pretty sure she is going to get baptized. If not this week, then really soon after. We have also been working with the siblings Marguarita 16, Isabel 14, and Angel 11. We have gained their trust as well and they are our good friends. We like to play and have fun with them. This week we watched the Joseph Smith Movie with them too, but it was more difficult. They are teenagers and so it is harder to keep their attention and they have many distractions such as cell phones, ect. but we did our best. They came with us to Mutual this week and the depressing thing was practically no one showed up. It was so cool, we had 7 investigators (they 3 siblings, their 2 friends, and then 2 others) come to mutual and practically 2 or 3 from the branch showed up and then more when we were finally done and play futbol. It was disappointing and we don't think they enjoyed it as much as they could have. We invited them also to the District conference and they came as well! It was cool! I think they were a little bored with how long it was but it was good for them to see a ward setting too and not just the branch. They also met some of the youth and chatted with them which was nice. We are trying to plan a Family Home Evening with them this week to ask them to be baptized this Saturday as well and to get permission from their parents. So that is the investigator status this week. Progressing and hopefull baptisms soon. So the District Conference was nice. It was the 2 branches in Penasco and then our Branch from Sonoyta. It is a district because it isn't big enough to be a stake. President and Hermana Velez came to Preside. I just love them so much! We had the Saturday night session and they we returned the next morning with our investigators for the Sunday session. This was probably the last time we will get to see President and Hermana Velez before they leave, which is after this change in just 6 weeks. We had changes today and 2 of the Elders from our district in Penasco were transferred. This will be good and I think the new ones that are coming will be a little bit more straight and not so crazy...! Hopefully... Elder Melchor thought that he might be transferred because of something the President told him, but thankfully he was not and I will get to finish the 2nd half of my 12 weeks with him. It is crazy to think that May is almost over....it flew by quickly! Also, I don't think we will be going to Penasco anymore for P-days thankfully. After I talked to the President he thought we didn't need to stay there so much so from now on we should just be going Sunday afternoon for District meetings and then return that night or sometimes they will come to us I think...so that should be better! Well luckily you all with your summer break and all...sounds like you are going to keep busy with all of you activites you have going on...have fun and stay safe! :P Haha! I am kind of get ansy about my packages....the one from the youth and then the one from Debbie and then you all....I have 3 packages in route...I want them!!!! Since the package from the youth wasn't here when we went to Hermosillo makes me nervous to think that yours and Debbie's package won't get here before the beginning of June. That would suck if it took a month even if they say it won't take that long......ugh!!!! So somethings I have been thinking about/ interesting facts about Mexico: - I guess everyone like so run on empty...I notice that whenever we ride with someone they gas is either practically empty or really low. Maybe they just don't like to fill it up all the way. - Speaking of Gas, this is quite interesting and cool: they have workers that pump your gas for you. Every gas station I've seen/been to has people pumping gas, you just hand them the cash with however much you want and they pump it for you. You don't even have to get out of your care. How nice is that!? Geez America, step it up...Ha! - They only have scented toilet paper here. I browse and all I find is scented....I think I know why though...they don't flush the toilet paper. That's right, no they don't! Almost every public restroom, and house restroom too, has a garbage can right next to the toilet in which you stick your toilet paper in. We don't do this in the house though, we just flush it...just a fun fact for you! :) - People aren't very...how should I say...thoughtful about the earth? It is so dirty, there is trash everywhere and so many people litter and just throw things where ever. Even in the desert as we drive to Penasco I can just see so much trash just left out there. It's sad. - It is 108 degress right now...what?! - There are so many dogs! They like to attack too! You have to carry rocks be to ready to throw in case they come charging! Being a dog lover, it is hard to see how many dogs are quite nal-nourished and not well taken care of too! I hate to see an animal that is just flesh and bones or that has infections in the eyes and skin. It pains me to see this! - I had something else, but forgot...oh well! I had a relapse this week with an investigator and my comp of the difficulty and frustrating trial that I have of not being able to carry converstation. I get quite upset and frustrated when this gets brought up and I just don't know what to do. I try, really, but it is just so hard! It is a little easy in English, but in Spanish I just have a hard time coming up with things to talk to people about. They ask me to say something, anything at all, and I don't know what to tell them. I feel like a load on my comp sometimes because I'm not able to help out in this. I can go in and teach a lesson just fine but talking with people is just so hard. Another trial, I am quite a sensitive person sometimes and I don't hold my emotions well. People can see when I am upset or scared or ticked and they just attack like a dog that smells fear and can be so insensitive and mean sometimes. Oh to be an American in a foreign land! People like to attack Americans too! I can't even count the times I've heard gringo. My favorite was when I was in line at the grocery store and the checkout lady told the bagger, "these gringos don't understand anything" it was fun to turn that back at her when I told her I understood perfectly and begain speaking to her in Spanish, Ha! So things are still hard and not too much better in this aspect, but I am trying and just struggling through life. Ugh! I have to repeatedly tell myself to "Just Breath..." and then of course I being singing the song from "In The Heights" Ha! Oh, my life IS musical! Can someone please smack Justin upside the head! I have been patiently waiting for a response to some questions and an email for WEEKS now and I've got nothing! I understand that he has like a wife and kid and job or something, but can we just take 10 minutes to give Dayne a little comfort? Thanks! Ha! Well, hope all is well! Here's to another week with heat! Yikes! Love and miss you all tons! ¡Yo sé que vive mi Señor! Con Mucho Amor, Elder Joyner